Line holder float



Dec. 8, 1959 C, L, HANCOCK I 2,915,847

lLINE HOLDER FLOAT I Filed Dec. 23, 1957 INVENTOR 71a #2&5 L. Hancock Anonym United States Patent() LINE. HOLDER 'FLOAT Charles -L. Hancock, Hot Springs, S. Dak.

Application December 23, 1957, Serial No. 704,542

4 Claims. (Cl. 4343.11)

Ihis invention relates to'. anew and'improved line holder float, or ish linebobber,` especially adaptedfor casting with rod and reel..

Heretofore, the'needfor an entirelyA satisfactory bobber for casting with the sinker,'leader, andzb'aitas .a .compact unit without snarling or tangling, which'will release the weightedA float line as it .strikes the water,y withoutspinning, to the desired depth;` has been recognizedan'dvarious attempts to solve this problem have been made,.but without much success. None of these known". devices nor any of those disclosedl in theV prior art is withoutl fault,vin1one or more respects.

They necessary considerations to beisatisiiedinfsolving thisproblern are more real than apparent:` Only ka'. rod and 'reel can give along distance-cast and .solextend :the effective. fishing area of .the shermanafrom'. theshore line'or fixed post; T o attempt this with the' sinkerzand hook trailing v behind the bobber. would :be Vclumsy indeed; ii"l inot. :well 'nigh impossible;

When the'bobber, sinker, leader,! hook-iandrbaitfare rigged-J and arranged as a' compact unit; this necessitates a simple, certain' and vready release of :these `elements ..down2 wardlynfrorn: the bobber'as soon.' as it .strikesthe water, as well -as' the furtherinecessityro'doing this without unwindingfand. spinning'. which .agitatesthe1water," scares the. fish, and: oftenI yentangles'zthey lines.;

Thefbobber mustv remain securely attached atione .point to thel'oat'flina nowl suspended .belowl :the: bobber in..the wateniso that .the bobberiwilly clearly indicate aastrike Yetythefbobber mustbe loosened to slide alongtheline to. th'esinkeryas the line is. reeled: in,.so.asnot '1o.' hinder landing the catchl.

' Otherwconsiderationsi are: alsorvery'fimportant-.1 The bobber should be simplein construction;- withfnoznioving' parts, easily and cheaply manufactured. The design should be-such that itis'toolproof'and reliable'when subjected to hard andrcontinuous use: Insuse; the lisherman, even a-novice, should lind this easy and quick to 4operate and .to.reuse,.with` little care or thought...

Theprimary object of 'my invention is' to fully. `satisfy this-.need with a simple' structure without moving A.parts, easy to operate, positive in action and cheapsto manufacture.

An object of this invention'fis-tofprovide a line holder oatwhichrwill carry the oat line-..wound thereon: to theiend; ofi-.the cast, then release .it-.byfra gravity*k drop without unwinding and spinning.,whichrwoulderesult in agitating the water and often also in entangling the lines as happens in other devices.

A further object of this invention is to provide this float in a simple structure which will remain securely attached at one point to the oat line, yet will be easily loosened to slide along the line to the sinker, as the line is reeled in.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent by reference to the following detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure f 8.. is' any elevation: of af fourth modiii'ciationf of' the invention. f

Many attempts ..have;been': made," since 'rstatt'empting to. cast.` a` 'sh. line :.with. a .bobberrfixedrthereoni with: rod. andwreel, to. overcome .the J difficulties attending. the; use of they bobberf inf such:- casting;A Ast noted,`.not'.much progresshas been: made f towards a. complete solution; heretofore. My new device,A disclosed herein, is a distinct advance in this art, and'a complete solution to all they difficulties, enumerated'above: It is `an improvement over the older structures,` some off which are on the market. Theseolder structures embody principles-such as -foundin thefollowing U.S. patents:

In?.thedrawingsgxeachftof :the numerals refer tocorre sponding parts inf/leach ofthemodificationssl Theirst modification.' .of ther line fholderi float?. seen 2in? Figures 1 5 inclusive;` lcomprisesfa 'atzbody v10J-0f buoyant material such as Iwoodg' plastic',- corkA` .orr'a light synthetic composi-` tion; an .outwardly-y extendingA- elementA or. eye .f 11l with threaded '.or. pointed :stemi and.' spring' clip or holderv 12 having two or: more? contiguous loops xed in position with-t a threaded. or pointedlstem'i or"with small screws onfothenisuitable nieansa` The. body 10:' preferablyA is L circular linv cross: section but inayfbeuofother'convenientsectionalshapeil Thefhjead 13 has alargerfflange-like sectional 'area thantheilower bodyi'sectio'n .14a-andi acts fas `fai liangeon the` en'd'of' a spool. v has across theibottom'thereof ani undercutf narrow" shaped slot: 15;.assenirinllligurerS;` which? defines f a segment '16 extending over'an arcz'of'ab'out- 120. The' eye v11 and springiholder112'lare fposi'ti'onedfonf oppositesides of-the lower :bodyiandfext'end outwardly therefrom"` andf partially under .the:tlangedh'ea'df13:.` TherV-shaped slot-15ffis near spring holder 12 and atfaiwideangle to adirectionalline betweenV eye'fll andi spring-holder 12T and faces 'toward the: eye 111i Int thebottoinof v lower bodyl sectionI v14 'a1 balanceL-weight,v such? as laf-screw. 17 'or'lead'f'pellet18',"l is l fixed iin a: countersunk hole.' andi. rpositi'oned between'i sloty 15and eyel11`, but Ynearerveye '11;' The'slot 15'intersects theiperiphery'iotlower'body 1'4-'tof1form two-fin#` verteds Vsf whose'ifapexesv are 'closer l'together f than their sids,:as seenatinaFigure .=2.-.

In use, suspension line 19 is threaded through eye 11 for the length desired, designated as float line 20 to the sinker and hook. Line 19 is then inserted between loops of spring holder 12 and the leader with sinker 21 and the hook is then attached. The float line 20 from holder 12 to the end is wound around lower body 14 and the end part is laid back in slot 15, where it is snugly tted without binding and then once or twice around segment 16 with the sinker 21 now positioned adjacent slot 15. In this compact form, as seen in Figure l, the float, sinker, hook The lower body 14 is cylindrical in shape and"v and bait are suspended fromthe rod and reel and ready to cast. t

The second modication seen in Figure 6 is the same as the'tirst'describ'ed above, except the lower body section 22 is formedrof suitable sheet material in cylindrical form in a single piece* orin sections, such as metal or plastic Vfitted tightly onto a circular shoulder 23 or molded into place.` belowftheeye 11.and spring holder 12 which' are positioned ist belowhead 13. This lowerlbody 22 is weighted' in any suitable manner on the side below eye 11. x A recess constituting 1a slot15 is'cutV in the lower body and arranged as is slot in Figure 2.

The third modification seenin Figure 1 isv similar in .shape vto the others,l asis shown. The slot 24 in this instance is diagonally across one side of the head vas an undercut Vrshape extending up from an edge'of the head 13 near spring holder 12. The bottom has atmetallicl weightrZSaixed as shown, which may be pressed, driven or threaded into a recess. 1

'L The fourth modification seen in Figure 8 is similar in structure tothat `seen in Figure l, except the segment 26 line leading to the hook until the oat is cast onto the water.

2. A oat adapted to be attached to a fish line and cast with sinker, leader, hook and bait as a compact unit from a rod and reel, comprising a buoyant body, having a head and pendent lower body section of rounded contours in lateral cross section of less diameter than the head so as to form a spool section to receive the ish line wound thereextends below the normal bottom of lower body section v 14 in `such, fashion as to form a narrow undercutV-shaped slot27 as an extension of the bottom of body 14.

i Y l Operation ;Y As indicated above, the Vsuspension line 19 is threaded through eye 1,1 and led across and fixed into spring holder 12 between the loopsas,seen in Figure 1. YEach of the modifications is operated in Vthe same manner. From holder V12., the line with snker, leader and hook now attached and designated oat line 20, is woundon the lower body with its end sectionlaid in slot 15 or 27 and wrapped once or twice., around segment 16 or 26 with the sinker adjacent the slot, and hanging below the oat, with leader, hook and bait. The fisherman now casts this compact unit from this rod and reel in the usual fashion. i

. As the oatstrikes the water, seen in Figure 2, the end taut. When .a sh strikes the hook, the sudden jerk on line `20 dunks the line holder float 10 and releases line 20 from spring holder 12. As the line 19 is .reeled in, the oat slides. down totsinker 21 to accommodate the line beingwound ontothe reel. After'the hook is free, the

desired length of line.,is;`then vagain drawn out, fixed in spring holder 12 and wound on lower body 14 for the next cast.-` 1L p v1 Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim:

l.; A oat adapted to be attached toa iish line and cast with sinker, leader,.hook andtbait as a compact unit from a rod and reel, comprising a buoyant body, having ahead and pendent lower body section of roundedr contours in lateralcross section of less diameter than the head, so as to form a` spool section to receive the fish line woundv thereon, vanoutwardly extending element beneath the head to receive and 4hold -the iish line in sliding contact and a holder to resiliently grip thev line in spaced relation to the element, the oat having av low center of gravityzto cause thefloat to bebuoyed with head normally upright and thereV being a narrow V-shaped undercut slot in the surface Vof the oat facing generally towards the said element, but nearer the holder to restrain the; release of the sh on, an outwardly extending element beneath the head to receive and hold the fish line in sliding contact and a holder to resiliently grip the line in spaced relation to the element, the floathaving a low center of gravity tovcause vthe oat to be buoyed with head normally upright and the body having a narrow V-shaped undercut slot in the surface of the oat at the bottom of the lower body section and facing generally towards the element, but nearer the holder to restrain the release of the iish line leading to the hook 'untilthe'oat is cast onto the water.

' V3. A oat adapted to be attached to a sh line andi with sinker, leader, hook and bait kas a compact unit from a rod and reel, comprising a buoyant body, having a head andpendentlowerf body section ofrounded contours in lateral cross section of less diameter than theY head, so as to formafspool section to receive the fish line wound thereon, `an Voutwardly extending element beneath the head to receive and'hold thetish linel in sliding contact and a' holder to resiliently grip the line in spaced relation to the element, the oat having a low center of gravity to cause the oat to be buoyed with .head normally upright and the body havinga narrow V-shaped undercut slot formed between a segment projecting downwardly below the'nor- `mal bottom ofthe lower body section and the section itselfand facing generally towards the element, but nearer the holder to restrainthe release of the sh line leading to the hook until the. oat is cast onto the water.

4. A oat adapted to be attached to a sh line and cast with sinker, leader, hook and bait as a compact Aunit from a rod and reel, comprising a buoyant body, having a head and pendent lower body sectionl of rounded contours in lateral cross section of less diameter thanthe head, so as to form a spool sectionV to receive the sh line wound thereon, an outwardly extending element beneath the head to receive and hold the iish line in sliding contact and a holder to resiliently gripthe line in spaced relation to the element, the float having a low center of gravity to` cause the tloat to be buoyed with head normally upright and the body havinganarrow V-shaped undercut slot in the surface of the iloat in the head section and fac ing generally towards the element, but nearer the holder to restrain the release of the fish line leading to the hook until the float is cast onto the water.

References Cited the'le of this patent 'UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,374,752Y Johse May 1, 194s l2,720,720 Landrum -..f Oct. 18, 1955 2,760,295 Bond Allg. 28, 1956 :2,775,056 VSneed Dec. 25, 1956 2,807,115 Turner Sept. 24, 1957 FOREIGN, PATENTS t 123,526 Sweden Dec. 7,v 1948 465,894 'France l Feb. 17, 1914 628,669 Great Britain Sept. 2, 1949 mx. ...a v5.,- La, 

